I'm quoting this just so he can't take it back!
Kidding... sort of.
Doug,
You should have quoted the next line.
Anyway for the sake of clarity;
I have a great business partner and she tracks everything.
In my time as a "larger than small sensor" owner I've owned 4 backs from two brands (one returned without penalty) and with used Contax' and a case full of lenses, the total net comes to a little more than $58,000.
That's not an earth shattering amount, but it's still more than pocket change, considering I've stuck those backs on used cameras.
I've spent about the same $54,000 on Canons and lenses though sold most of those older 1ds bodies for half price to put the total net at $44,000. So my Canon investment is just 20% less than the medium format buy.
Once again, not an earth shattering amount.
A few years ago I shot about 60 to 70% with those "larger than small sensor" cameras, today I shoot only 5% with those same cameras.
What's changed in the last few years . . . client expectations. No longer do we shoot 10 retail fashion shots a day, you shoot 24. No more do you work one lifestyle location a day, you move talent and crew to 3 locations and if your shooting advertising in studio, rather than shoot only in studio, we're renting locations, shooting lifestyle AND shooting the studio in a set we build outside of the location.
Now throw in video, ah yes, the V word and instead of stacks of pro 7's, or acutes coming off the truck, it's HMI's, Tungsten, and Kinos because you've got to give them both, motion and stills, without obvious compromise.
Last year, honest to God, we shot an Olympic Gold Medal Winner for a international campaign. We shot video and stills on a black set, video and stills on a white set, video of her mother for voice over, an interview with the Olympic Star, then moved to location where a second crew was waiting and shot a 30 second spot plus the location still advertising. All in one day and once again without compromise. The AD just doesn't want data, or volume, they also want to win awards (in this case we did) and they want it done in 1/3 of the time.
It's a new, tougher world and things have changed.
I didn't change my camera selection due to costs, because as you can see the cost is about equal and I've already made the investment. I've changed because of usability.
It is almost funny that in the last 18 months I walk onto each set and say to the First Assistant, give me a Contax with an 80 and he just rolls his eyes, knowing that ten minutes later I'll be holding a Canon with a 50.
These aren't my rules, actually I don't have any rules, it's just the way the world is spinning.
B
